Staind - The Illusion of Progress CD Review

There's a reason why Staind stands alone with Disturbed as the only modern rock acts that have had four consecutive #1 album debuts. Every time a new CD comes out, it sends chills down your spine. The latest Staind release, titled "The Illusion of Progress" is a departure from Staind's normal table fare of angry, adrenaline-fueled modern rock. When bands switch sounds, most of the time, the results are disastrous for the band's core fanbase (think Linkin Park's CD Minutes to Midnight). This time around, with Staind, the results are pure magic. First things first, you can automatically tell this isn't your ordinary Staind album...the album cover is totally devoid of Staind's trademark band logo, which has been on the cover of their last three albums. The overall feel of this album is one of maturity. The album title is
appropriate, as Staind has really grown and matured musically with their new album. It fits perfectly with Staind's core fanbase, which back in the late 90's and early 2000's, was generally angry young people in their late teens-early 20's. Here in 2008, as the fanbase grows up and matures, so does Staind's music. As a 21 year old myself, the progression from "Tormented" to "The Illusion of Progress" seems to parallel greatly in sentiment and maturity.
Staind calls The Illusion of Progress their most musical CD to date, and that certainly is the case.

The album opener, This Is It, is the hardest tune on the entire album, and sounds more like vintage Staind than any other track here. Definitely a throwback to harder tunes, this is a great song choice for the opener. "This is it, and it fits, and it feels like this is good enough for me, could it be, that the grass is always green," thunders the chorus. A song about feeling satisfied knowing that it never gets any better is one of the best tunes on album.

The Way I Am, a song that starts with a thudding bass guitar, develops into a song that is more reminiscent of a Chevelle tune, especially during the first minute of the song. "You will never change the way I am" sings Aaron Lewis, in a song basically telling someone to quit trying to change him, that the way he is will always be the way he is.

The third tune and lead single, Believe, is one of the least inspiring moments on the CD. Sounding very much like Right Here musically, the lyrics however are the meat of the whole song. "Believe in me, this life's not always what it seems, believe in me, cuz I was made for chasing dreams" is a very emotional plea to gain someone's trust. A sure hit on mainstream rock, one cannot escape the feeling that the song was made specifically for radio airplay.

Save Me, another very un-Staind-sounding opening, is a plea for salvation from the world. "Save me, just hold out your hand, you save me from all of it," is another mature song. "Save me for the f*** of it" conveys a feeling of despair. A great tune, Save Me is another example of great songwriting and musicianship.

The next song, All I Want, is what every nervous guy is always too scared to say to his girl that he wants so badly. An awesome tune, All I Want even sees the entire band get in on the vocal act, as during the bridge of the song the entire band sings the "is you" part of the lyrics. This is the type of song that a guy would dedicate to his girlfriend when he himself is too nervous to do it himself.

During the first part of the following song, "Pardon Me" sounds like a throwback to the ballads of the 80's. Sounding more "Staind-ish" during the chorus, the song is not as fulfilling as the other tunes on the CD.

The tune that is Lost Along The Way, could be considered a ballad itself, as it starts slow then picks up tempo slightly during the chorus. Another good song, Lost Along The Way and Pardon Me could be considered the weaker part of the CD.

However, the next song, Break Away, tears away the veil of the last two songs with a resounding chorus and very cool sound effect opening. A prime example of the band maturing, this song is a must-hear for any Staind fan. Featuring one of the harder pieces of music in the album, the song is pure gold to the ears.

The song Tangled Up In You is a purely unadulterated love song. By far the slowest and softest song on the CD, this song features an instrument never before heard on a Staind album...a steel guitar. Sounding more at home on a country radio station, Tangled Up In You is a very mature song that would appeal to a majority of music listeners.

The following songs, in my opinion the best material on the album, just make you want to flick a lighter and hold it high above your head. Both songs, appropriate for a cloudy day, both have similiar lyrical content. Raining Again is the best song on the album, a mid-tempo song that sends the chills mentioned at the beginning of this review running rampant through your spine. A song that must be heard time and time again to be fully appreciated, it features the best guitar shredding that Mike Mushok does on the album. Staind in its purest form, Raining Again will stand as one of the defining moments on the CD.

Following the rain theme, the next tune, Rainy Day Parade, features one of the best opening guitar riffs of the CD. A song dealing with the deceitfulness of the world, it conveys what I think alot of people in America and around the world feel about the current state of affairs. One of the most mature pieces ever written lyrically by Staind, it stands out from the crowd.

The 11th tune, The Corner, again brings in the steel guitar sound to compliment the overall bluesy feel of the song. Even featuring a choir vocal background, this song is the farthest from the normal sound that Staind has ever done. Strictly either a love it/hate it song, I'm still on the fence concerning this song.

The album closer, Nothing Left To Say, is another soft tune that is in line with the rest of the CD. A great choice for the closing song, it features the guitar sound of 3 Doors Down's softer songs and makes it sound great.

Whether or not this album will be well received by Staind fans has yet to be seen, but personally its an album that hits close to home for me. Parallels in maturity and growing up, this album will be one that I will always listen to for years to come.

Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

CD Review: 3 Doors Down

Ever since 2000, when 3 Doors Down blasted onto the modern rock scene with the megahit Kryptonite, the juggernaut that is 3 Doors Down has been gaining momentum ever since. With only a slight hiccup with 2005's Seventeen Days, 3 Doors Down's CD's have been getting better with every effort. Fast forward to 2008, and we are now talking about 3DD's fourth studio effort. Simply self-titled, the new album mixes some new and old 3DD sounds, and for the most part, sounds freaking brilliant. The opener, Train, is fueled by gutty guitar riffs, and although equated to the southern rock sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd, I can tell you this, Lynyrd Skynyrd never sounded like this. Train is a great opener, and it does have a more open, rawer sound than anything on Seventeen Days. The second song, Citizen/Soldier, was a song that was released earlier as a US Army National Guard song, and due to the results of fan voting on 3DD's website, the song was included on the new CD. The song itself is a great tribute to the Armed Forces, and finds itself situated nicely among 3DD's regular fare. The third song, and lead single off the album, It's Not My Time, has been a big hit this summer on the radio. It's Not My Time is 3DD's first #1 hit in five years. The middle of the CD, starting off with Let Me Be Myself, is where 3DD's musical progress is shown. Let Me Be Myself, is according to Brad Arnold, his favorite track off the entire album. A slow tempo song, much like their song Be Like That, is a song that would probably be a golden hit on mainstream radio. The next track on the CD, Pages, is a soul-bearing song that starts off slow, then during the chorus rises to a higher volume level. Pages is great album filler, something that diehard 3DD fans will eat up. The 6th song, It's The Only One You've Got, is another filler-type song, a slower tempo song that fits the sound of Lifehouse more than 3DD. The next track, the hidden gem of the album, named Give It To Me, is a raw song fueled by aggravation and a bit of angst. A definite must-listen for any 3DD or rock music fan. However, the next song, These Days, could be considered the weakest point of the album. It sounds very generic, and never can decide whether it's trying be a slow or fast tempo song, it always sounds like its straddling the fence, so to speak. The 9th track, Your Arms Feel Like Home, is a nice slow song, much like the song Here Without You. Not much of a listener for the harder rock fans, but it will suffice for everyone else.
The next track, Runaway, is a very nice example of 3DD's musical progression. A good pop-ish, head bopping tune, Runaway is a great song. The following song, When It's Over, is another great tune, starting off slow but turning into a gut-wrencher of a chorus. Many recommendations for this song, it's definitely a very 3DD-sounding song. The ending track, She Don't Want The World, is a very surprising song. The softest song 3 Doors Down has ever recorded, it never gets loud at all. Needless to say, this album goes out with a whimper.

Now we get to the bonus songs. These bonus songs should have been included on all regular versions of the CD, because they are great tunes that sound more at home on the CD than about a third of the songs on the CD. The 1st bonus track, Feet In The Water, could stand alone as a single itself. The song is that good! Featuring great drumwork and the usual perfection of Matt Roberts and Chris Henderson on guitar, it's a MUST listen for 3DD fans. The 2nd bonus track, Who Are You, is actually my personal favorite song off the entire album. Dealing with the subject of a bad relationship in which the singer finally says enough is enough, Who Are You has the catchiest chorus in my opinion of any of 3DD's new songs.

Next I'm going to talk about a 3DD song that has nothing to do with the new CD. 3 Doors Down has the official 2008 USA Olympics Theme Song, named "The Champion In Me." This song can be caught right now on the TV coverage of the games, and the song is also available on iTunes. A fast paced song, this song would fit right in on a album.

Overall Album Score: 4 out of 5 stars.